Mesut Ozil will be looking to get one over on his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as Germany take on Portugal in their opening game of Euro 2012. Photo: Reuters

When and where: The Group B clash kicks-off from Arena Lviv, Ukraine, at 2.45 p.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by ESPN, with a live stream available on ESPN3.

Preview: Germany and Portugal begin their Euro 2012 campaign already under pressure to get a positive result in arguably the most formidable group ever witnessed in a major tournament.

Having reached the final of Euro 2008 and semi-finals of the last World Cup, losing to Spain on both occasions, Germany are tipped by many to go all the way this time around. Coach Joachim Low has an exceptional group of young players, many of whom could be poised to reach their full potential in Poland and the Ukraine.

That description perhaps best fits Mesut Ozil. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder announced himself on the world stage in South Africa and has since become one of the game's true elite players at Real Madrid. His balance and keen eye for a defense-splitting pass having been accompanied by greater strength that now make him an unenviable challenge for opposition defenders.

The strength of Germany's squad is demonstrated by some of the players who will not even begin in Low's starting 11. The likes of Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Toni Kroos all have the ability to be stars of the championships.

Finishing second in qualifying, Portugal has yet to quite escape the tag of often being a one-man team. Though that may be harsh criticism given that the one man in question is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid forward has enjoyed another other-worldly season, scoring an incredible 60 goals in all competitions.

But key to his country's success will be the level of trust Ronaldo puts in his teammates to show that he does not have to do everything himself. Playmaker Joao Moutinho will be a crucial figure in the middle of the park, providing a key supply line to Ronaldo.

But Portugal have yet to solve their seeming constant search for a top class striker, meaning that coach Paulo Bento will once again turn to Helder Postiga or Hugo Almeida. For so long a key facet to their play, with the likes of Deco and Rui Costa, this time around Portugal will also be missing a number 10 to pull the strings behind the front man.

Germany (probable, 4-2-3-1)

G: Neuer

D: Boateng, Badstuber, Mertesacker, Lahm

M; Schweinsteiger, Khedira

Muller, Ozil, Podolski

F: Klose

Portugal (probable, 4-3-3)

G: Rui Patricio

D: Pereira, Pepe, Alves, Coentrao

M: Veloso, Moutinho, Meireles

F: Nani, Postiga, Ronaldo

Prediction: With so many quality players on show, particularly going forward, it promises to be a memorable encounter. But there is no doubt that Germany has the more fluid lineup and has developed over the last two years into an attractive attacking side. While a match for most teams, Portugal's performances in their warm-up games suggest that this is still a side that lacks the overall depth to truly challenge the very best.